The twelve places places remaining for women at Rio 2016 will be claimed at the AIBA World Elite Championships which begin in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 19.

Twenty four boxers – counting in the three invitation places – have already qualified for Rio in the three Olympic weights – flyweight, lightweight and middleweight – for females.

Twenty one of those berths have been won directly at the Continental qualifiers through Africa, Asia/Oceania, Americas and Europe.

The three invitation places will be distributed through the Tripartite Commission at a date to be confirmed.

The remaining twelve places – four in each weight – are up for grabs at next month’s World Championships. A top four finish (reach the semi-finals) in Central Asia will suffice.

In the event of a boxer(s) qualifying through the Continental route and also reaching the top four standard in Kazakhstan – effectively qualifying for the same Olympic twice – the World Championships places prevail and the berths earned through the Continental qualifiers go back to the winners – or both finalists – of the 3rd and 4th place bouts from the Africa, Asia/Oceania, Americas and Europe qualifiers.

Brazil’s Adriana Araujo, a bronze medallist at London 2012, accepted the one host place for women in the lightweight class for Rio 2016.

36 women and 250 men compete at each Olympics.

Women qualified for Rio 2016

51kg – Flyweight

Stanimira Petrova, Bulgaria
Mandy Bujold (Canada)
Ren Cancan (China)
Ingrit Valencia (Colombia)
Nicola Adams, Great Britain
Zohra Ez-Zahraoui (Morocco)
Yodgor Mirzoyeva (Uzbekistan)
One Invitation Place

60kg – Lightweight

Shelly Watts (Australia)
Yana Akexseevna (Azerbaijan)
Yin Junhua (China)
Irma Tessa (Italy)
Mikaela Mayer (USA)
Adriana Araujo (Brazil (Host place)
Hasnaa Lachgar (Morocco)
One Invitation Place

75kg – Middleweight

Li Qian (China)
Claressa Shields (USA)
Ariane Fortin (Canada)
Khadija Mardi (Morocco)
Dariga Shakimova (Kazakhstan)
Iaroslava Iakushina (Russia)
Anna Laurell (Sweden)
One Invitation Place

Brendan Irvine, Zaur Antia and David Oliver Joyce

Irish boxing will now target the women’s flyweight, lightweight and middleweight and men’s light-welter, middleweight, heavyweight and super-heavyweight divisions in the three remaining qualifiers for Rio 2016.

The first of these begin in Astana, Kazakhstan on the 19th of next month at the AIBA World Women’s Elite Championships.Twelve Rio berths are available,four in each of the three Olympic weights – flyweight, lightweight and middleweight – for women. A semi-final finish will suffice.

The men’s light-flyweight, flyweight, bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight and light-heavyweight classes are of academic interest to Irish boxing from this point on as Paddy Barnes, Brendan Irvine, Michael Conlan, David Oliver Joyce, Steven Donnelly and Joe Ward have qualified in these weights.

The men’s qualifiers in Baku, Azerbaijan in June needs to be clarified in regards to the weights in which the top five qualify. Two of those weights – light-welter and middle – are of specific interest to Ireland.

The semi-finalists in the weights concerned qualify by virtue of reaching the last four. But will be the final place go to the quarter finalists that lost to the eventual gold medallist or will the four losing quarter finalists box-off in a semi-final and final format for the remaiming spot?

There’s no ambiguity about the heavyweight and super-heavyweight classes in the Azeri capital. The big men have absolutely no room for error and must win gold as there is only one place available in both categories.

The final qualifier, last chance saloon, is a World Series of Boxing versus AIBA Pro Boxing tournament in either late June or early July at a host city to be confirmed. Bouts will be over three rounds.

Meantime, Brazil have taken the six host places they are entitled to in the men’s light-fly, fly, bantam, light-welter and light-heavy and women’s lightweight classes.

Likewise, 278 boxers will be through to the 31st Olympiad following the completion of the remaining qualifiers.

The remaining eight places – 5 for men and 3 for women – will be distributed via the Tripartite Commission. These are invitation places.

The maximum amount of boxers that can represent a nation at the Olympics is 13 – 10 men and 3 women.

250 men and 36 women compete at each Games.

Rio2016QualificationSystem-Boxing

World Women’s Elite Championships May 19/17 Astana, Kazakhstan

Total Olympic Places: 12

51kg (Flyweight) 4
60kg (Lightweight) 4
75kg (Middleweight 4

World Tournament (for men) June 14/28 Baku, Azerbaijan

Total Olympic Places: 39

Light-fly: 2
Fly: 5
Bantam: 5
Lightweight: 5
Light-welter: 5
Welter: 5
Middle: 5
Light-heavy: 5
Heavy: 1
Super-heavy: 1

World Series of Boxing v AIBA Pro Boxing (dates and host city to be decided for June or July)

Total Olympic places: 26

Light-fly: 3
Fly: 3
Bantam: 3
Lightweight: 3
Light-welter: 3
Welter: 3
Middle: 3
Light-heavy: 3
Heavy: 1
Super-heavy: 1

Irish boxers qualified

Women

51kg (Flyweight) –
60kg (Lightweight –
75kg (Middleweight) –

Men

49kg (Light-flyweight) – Paddy Barnes (Holy Family)
52kg (Flyweight) – Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
56kg (Bantamweight) – Michael Conlan (Clonard)
60kg (Lightweight) – David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy & AIBA Pro Boxing)
64kg (Light-welterweight) –
69kg (Welterweight) – Steven Donnelly (All Saints)
75kg (Middleweight) –
81kg (Light-heavyweight) – Joe Ward (Moate & AIBA Pro Boxing)
91kg (Heavyweight) –
91+kg (Super-heavyweight) –

Rio 2016 Olympians Brendan Irvine and David Oliver Joyce with IABA President Pat Ryan today

Rio 2016 Olympians Brendan Irvine and David Oliver Joyce with IABA CEO Fergal Carruth

Olympic champion Katie Taylor meets two potential Irish 2032 Olympians

The St Paul’s BC out in force to welcome home Brendan “Wee Rooster” Irvine

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